Whether he is wearing the blue shirt of Chelsea or the yellow of Brazil, Ramires has grown accustomed to his more glamorous team-mates getting most of the attention.

For some players that would cause concern or even resentment but the 26-year-old does not want it any other way.

He prefers to concentrate on his job on the pitch, so there are no jealous glances aimed at any of Brazil’s stars such as fellow team-mates David Luiz and Oscar, let alone the crown jewel of his national team, Neymar.

He told Standard Sport: “I’m a very shy person. I like to be in my own space. It’s hard but I have always been a calm person and maybe that has helped me manage different situations. I have always been down to earth but I hope to stay the same and that it will help me have a great career.

“It doesn’t really bother me that I don’t get much attention. I’m not a vain person and I like to keep my focus. Obviously a lot of people talk about players like Neymar because the things he does are very impressive.

“Also because I’m shy and don’t give a lot of interviews I’m not so involved in marketing and don’t get to appear as much. But I just have to do my job well and concentrate on what I have to do.”

There is no doubt Ramires will get a lot more attention if things continue to go according to plan over the next nine months.

At Chelsea the diminutive midfielder, whose incredible athleticism has led him to be compared affectionately in some circles to Britain’s long distance runner Mo Farah, continues to be one of first names on the team-sheet.

Jose Mourinho is the fifth different manager he has played under since joining from Benfica for £18million in 2010, but has been an integral part of the first team, starting all six League games this season.

Silverware is wanted at Stamford Bridge again this season and the demands are no different from his national team Brazil, who intend to claim the World Cup trophy on home soil next summer.

Such demands from club and country would intimidate most people but not Ramires. “Obviously, I live with the pressure and expectations at Chelsea and take that into the Brazil side and vice-versa,” said Ramires as he prepares to face Norwich on Sunday.

“It’s important and it helps because it doesn’t demotivate, it doesn’t change my mentality of thinking. I’m always going for trophies and trying to win competitions.

“There is obviously a difference between the two. When you have pressure from the club, you have all the supporters from that club wanting success but when it is a national team, you’re representing a whole nation rather than a set amount of fans.

“But it’s good to have that pressure. We all fight to win those competitions. Yes it can get to me but when you’re representing Brazil or Chelsea, if you feel loved, there is no reason not to smile. Plus I’m doing what I like and you have to smile when you’re enjoying yourself.”

There is a good reason why Ramires, who followed his 100th Premier League appearance for Chelsea at Tottenham last week by scoring a brace in a 4-0 victory at Steaua Bucharest, is so appreciative.

When he was trying to make his breakthrough at Brazilian side Cruzeiro, he came very close to being released or loaned back to first club Joinville, who play in the lower leagues. Fortunately there was a change of coach and he thrived under the replacement Dorival Junior, a man that now credits Ramires with being the ‘best find’ of his managerial career.

“I remember him very well,” Ramires said. “In his first training session he put the first-team squad against the reserves, who were full of players like me who were going to be released or sent on loan. Just 15-20 minutes into that game he said he would keep me.

“The fact he gave me a chance for Cruzeiro, opened my opportunities, not just in Brazil, but the whole world. Benfica got to see me play and obviously I went there. Now I am at Chelsea, which you don’t compare.”

On a personal level, one moment stands out more than any other from his Stamford Bridge career.

His glorious chip against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final last year helped the club secure a stunning upset on the way to winning the competition for the first time.

“It was one of the most beautiful goals I scored and one I will never forget,” he said. “People will stop me to talk about it, how fantastic it was, especially Chelsea fans. They always remind me of that goal.

“That goal emphasised my career as a player and also the club because while it was important for me, it was also important for Chelsea. It put this group of players and this club in the history books because we went on to win the Champions League.”

He will have to get used to being stopped a lot more though should he achieve glory with Chelsea and Brazil over the next year.